


The Solo Collection

by chaostheoryy



Series: Reader Inserts [3]
Category: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Imagines, Mimban, Multi, Other, Reader-Insert, Tumblr Prompt, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-11 17:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15320355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaostheoryy/pseuds/chaostheoryy
Summary: A collection of "Solo"-based reader inserts pairing you with everybody's favorite scoundrel.





	1. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long smuggling venture, Han finally returns home and brings with him a little surprise.

It had been nearly 8 months since you’d last seen Han’s smug face, 8 months since he’d set off on some grand smuggling venture that he claimed would make the two of you filthy rich.

“I’ll have more than enough credits to buy us a brand new ship,” he had said, eyes aglow with youthful excitement, “And the two of us can blast off of this space rock and never have to spend another second thinking about farming or scrounging for scraps. We’ll live a life so good the Emperor will be jealous.”

But over half a year later, you had just about given up hope of seeing the galaxy through the cockpit of your own ship. For all you knew, Han was gone for good. Perhaps the job had been rigged from the start. Smugglers were scoundrels and liars. Who in their right mind would even be surprised if one of them had turned their gun away from the Empire to double their share of the goods. One shot at Han’s head and the crew of bandits he had decided to call “partners” could walk away with his take and no one in the galaxy would know.

The likelihood of a hit gone south was incredibly high. But, as much as you hated to think Han had given his life trying to better yours, there was one possibility you feared more — what if he had left you? What if he had taken this job only to realize that being out there on his own was enough? What if he had discovered he no longer needed you to be happy? What if the man you cared about most in the galaxy had found someone new?

* * *

You were in the middle of washing some of your clothes when your droid companion, F5, hurried into the room.

“Master (Y/N),” F5 announced, “A Corellian freighter has landed just beyond the ridge.”

You looked up from the basin in front of you. Your brow furrowed. “Corellian?”

You dropped everything and rushed out of the rundown byre-dwelling you had come to call home. From over the top of the rocky ridge just south of your farm emerged two figures. Desperate to identify the approaching individuals, you braced yourself against the blowing snow with your hand blocking any flakes from getting in your eyes. It quickly became clear that the taller of the two figures was a Wookie, its long brown hair blowing wildly in the winter wind. The Wookie’s companion was much shorter. Standing no more than six feet with its face concealed behind goggles and a head wrap, the second approacher was humanoid in appearance.

The Wookie roared, causing you to flinch and grab the blaster at your hip. You pointed it at the two figures. “Hold it!”

They both froze.

“Don’t you dare move a muscle,” you shouted over the gusting wind, “I wanna know who you are and what the hell you are doing here!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” the smaller figure cried out, “Take it easy, sweetheart!” 

You tightened your grip on the blaster as they reached up to remove their head gear. Sure enough, with the wrap and goggles out of the way, it became clear that they weren’t a threat at all.

“It’s just me,” Han said, a smile tugging at his lips.

It took everything in your power not to scream. You dropped your blaster and sprinted over to him, throwing yourself into his welcoming arms. You couldn’t stop the tears that found their way to your eyes.

“Where the hell have you been, you jerk,” you whispered into his neck, trying your hardest not to sob like a child, “You had me so worried. I thought you’d gone and gotten yourself killed!”

He chuckled and hugged you tightly for a moment before pulling back to look down at you. “And leave you here with F5 for the rest of your life? Not gonna happen. I’m still convinced that scrap pile is an undercover Imperial probe droid,” he joked.

You laughed softly despite your tears. Han brought his hand up to caress your cheek, his gentle yes scanning yours. “I missed you.”

You leaned into his touch. “I missed you too,” you said as you grabbed tightly onto his wrist in an attempt to hold him close. Even with him standing in front of you, had a hard time believing he’d made it home after 8 long months. 

Face to face with him once again, you quickly became lost in his eyes. Despite the bruises and cuts on his face that made him seem years older than when you’d last seen him, that familiar, brilliant gleam remained in those hazel eyes. No matter what the galaxy threw at him, he always seemed to maintain a sense of eagerness and hope. Nothing could ever keep him down. Not even the Empire.

* * *

Han and his newfound companion, Chewbacca, led you back to his ship. The Corellian freighter he had managed to obtain on his journey was gorgeous inside and out. With pristine white walls, glistening floors, and brand new installments, it was a picture-perfect traveler’s paradise. 

You were marveling at the hologram chess game on the table in the common area when Han tapped you on the shoulder. You spun around and nearly felt your breath taken away when you found yourself presented with an iridescent bouquet of flowers. You traced your finger over the violet petals along the edge of the bouquet. 

“These are for me?”

“Well, I was gonna give them to Chewie but turns out he doesn’t have a thing for spry brunettes like me…”

You rolled your eyes and gently hit his shoulder. 

He laughed. “I’m kidding,” he said with a charming grin, “Of course they’re for you.”

You eagerly took the bouquet in your hands, unable to keep the excitement from radiating off of you. Stranded on a rocky plateau for years, you had desperately yearned to see the gorgeous plant life that lay in wait out in the galaxy. 

Grinning softly, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled yourself against him. Like clockwork, his hands found their way to your hips. That signature crooked smile found its way to his face once again.

“Y’know, I _was_ gonna chew your ear off about how mad I am that you were gone so long,” you teased.

He raised his brow curiously. “But?”

“But, for the flowers, I think I’ll forgive you.”

He chuckled softly, his grin spreading from ear to ear. “I knew I had a good feeling about those.”

With one hand still holding onto the bouquet and the other tangled in his shaggy, brown hair, you leaned up to capture his lips with yours. Hands gently squeezed your waist and a gentle hum against your mouth reminded you that no matter where in the galaxy you roamed, your home would always be in Han’s arms.


	2. Out of Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A smuggling job goes south and, as chief mechanic for Beckett’s ragtag crew, you find yourself in a sticky situation. Lucky for you, you’re not alone in the battlefield…

Sparks were flying and metal was clanking as you hurried about trying to patch up the ship. The drop had been extremely successful with the Imperial forces unaware of the infiltration by Beckett and the rest of your ragtag crew. As chief mechanic and go-to getaway pilot, it was your responsibility to make sure the ship was ready to go at a moment’s notice.

You were in the midst of repairing one of the lower door control panels when you spotted movement out of the corner of your eye. You looked up from your work and, sure enough, just across the valley, a squad of stormtroopers was headed your way. You swallowed. _Great_.

“Beckett, we’ve got a situation.”

Beckett’s voice immediately responded through your headpiece, his tone hushed. “What kind o’ situation are we talkin’ about here?”

You quickly shut the door panel and hopped over one of the support rails. “The blaster-toting trooper kind.”

“How many?”

You bolted for the cockpit. “About fifteen or so. Enough for me to say a fight may not be a good idea.”

“Well get your ass in the hot seat and clear out,” he ordered, “We’re gonna need ya if we wanna make this haul.”

You plopped down in the pilot’s seat and flipped the ignition switch. The engine hummed violently for a moment before puttering out with a whining sound.

“Shit,” you muttered as you tried desperately to start the engine once again only to have it fail just as pathetically.

You leaped from your seat and hustled to the engine room. With the troopers rushing this way, you weren’t going to have much time to make major repairs. If you were going to save your ass, you were going to have to do one hell of a rush job.

It didn’t take long to identify the problem and, to your dismay, it was a much bigger issue than you had anticipated. It seemed that someone had tapped into the engine wiring and rigged a makeshift device that crystalized the coaxium, rendering it completely inactive. Whether you wanted to believe it or not, you had no fuel and no means of getting the hunk of metal airborne.

“Looks like our problems have gotten a lot worse. Someone’s tapped into the engine and sabotaged the coaxium. Unless I get some new fuel up here, the ship’s not going anywhere.”

“Goddammit,” Beckett hissed. You could hear rustling on his end before he finally spoke again. “Get the hell out of there. Last thing we need is to lose a ship _and_ our pilot.”

“Roger that.”

You slung your bag over your shoulder and ran for the exit. You climbed down the ladder as fast as you could and, just as you touched down on the muddy ground, a muffled voice called out from behind you.

“Don’t move!”

You spun around to find yourself surrounded by a squadron of troopers, all of them with their blasters pointed directly at you. You took a half-step back. 

“Identify yourself,” the commanding officer shouted.

You raised your hands in defense. “Hey now! There’s no need for weapons! I’m just a cargo pilot!”

“(Y/N)?” Beckett’s voice whispered into your ear, “What in the hell are you doing?”

“Taking care of the situation,” you muttered under your breath.

The commanding trooper trudged forward a few feet. “What is your business here?”

“I was delivering a shipment of steel from Af’El. My primary engine blew upon departure and I didn’t have enough time to circle back to base before my fuel tanks overheated,” you lied, putting on your most innocent display, “I promise, I’m just trying to get this clunker fixed so I can get out of your hair and back to Hctaqsas.”

“No shipments from Af’El were expected to arrive until next week. Who signed off on the delivery?”

You hesitated, hand slyly worming into the pouch on your hip as you continued your diversion. “General Aylo,” you replied, faking offense at the situation, “I can’t believe he didn’t inform you about the change in schedule. I’ll have to have a word with him when I get back.”

“Aylo? There is no commanding officer by the name of Aylo!”

“Did I say Aylo?” You laughed and waved your hand. “You’ll have to forgive me, I’m not very good with names. I meant to say, it’s none of your business bucket head!”

With a quiet click, you activated one of the thermal detonators in your pouch and launched it at the squadron. They all shouted and rushed out of its path, diving into the mud to avoid the blast. You took advantage of the trap and snaked your way underneath the ship just as they began opening fire. Using one of the landing beams as cover, you pulled out your blaster and prepared to fight. If you were lucky, the detonator could have cut the enemy number in half. Although they still weren’t in your favor, you much preferred the odds of 7 on 1 to 1 against 15.

“You still with us kid?” Beckett asked.

“For the moment,” you replied, leaning around the beam to fire at the opposition. “Can’t say my luck’s gonna last very long though.”

You blasted two more of the troopers and tossed another detonator that wiped an additional pair from the playing field. Within moments you had cut their team down to three, including the commanding officer and a well-armed heavy that was closing in on your position fast.

You took a deep breath and prepared yourself for a brief second before rising from your cover and bolting for a fallen tree just beyond the ship’s flank. You were two steps away from its safety when a laser blast struck you in the thigh. You cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground. The wound burned like hell and left you gasping for breath as you dragged yourself through the mud and behind the cover of the tree trunk.

Lasers whizzed over your head and burned holes in the bark as you hastily wrapped your wound, pausing to toss detonators over your shoulder. Your hands were shaking, blood oozing from your clothes and through your fingers. You could hardly keep yourself from cursing up a storm as you yanked your makeshift tourniquet tight.

With most of the bleeding stopped, you grabbed your blaster and peeked over the tree trunk. The troopers had taken position under the ship, all three unloading round after round. The tree was spewing smoke from the bombardment, its very structure threatening to collapse. With no thermal detonators to toss their way, it was clear that you didn’t have long before you were overcome by your opposition.

You ducked behind the trunk again and clutched your blaster to your chest. So this is how you were going to go. You would be brought down in a blaze of glory, fighting to keep the crew afloat from afar. You had to admit, it wasn’t a bad ending for a scoundrel like yourself.

“Beckett.”

“(Y/N)! You alright?”

“Doing my best,” you replied with a small smile, happy just to have someone you cared about talking to you in your last moments. “Sir, I know you’re not one for sappy words, but I just wanted to say it has been an honor fighting by your side.”

“Hey now, don’t you start talking like that, kid…”

You ignored him and continued, “Tell Han that…” You hesitated. “Tell him I was damn lucky to fly with him and that no matter the odds, I know he’ll be the best pilot the galaxy’s ever seen.”

“Tell him that yourself.”

It was then that you realized the shooting had stopped and suddenly a battlecry-like scream echoed across the field. You furrowed your brow and looked over the tree trunk to see Han bolting toward the troopers like a madman. Thrown off by the sight, the troopers looked at each other before turning their attention to the newcomer. Han opened fire, taking down the officer before he could even raise his weapon.

You took advantage of the situation and unloaded your blaster, striking the heavy several times in the torso. Unable to respond quick enough, the final trooper found himself being tackled to the ground. He and Han wrestled in the mud for a minute before Han finally got the upper hand and knocked him out cold with a few strikes of the blaster handle. With the threat eliminated and the fighting over, he tossed the trooper’s blaster to the side and sat back on his haunches with a sigh.

With a wince, you hoisted yourself up and limped your way toward the ship. Movement out of the corner of his eye drew Han’s attention toward you. As soon as he saw you approaching, he scrambled to his feet.

“(Y/N)!” He exclaimed as he rushed over to you, “You alright?”

He hooked his arm around you and allowed you to take the weight off of your injured leg. You nodded in response to his question. “I’m fine,” you reassured him, “Just took one to the leg is all.”

With his help, you made it back onto the ship and sat down on one of the benches in the crew common area. Han immediately began tending to your wound, disregarding his own cuts and bruises in the process. 

You watched him as he worked. He was as gentle as could be, eyes focused only on the task in front of him. As cocky as he often acted, you had always known he was just a kind soul with a massive heart. His willingness to risk his life to save yours only proved that.

Without a word, you reached out and ran your fingers through his hair. He looked up, completely surprised by the sudden touch, and suddenly you found yourself swimming in those big brown eyes. You smiled softly at him it reassurance. He instantaneously understood your intention. You were thanking him for everything — for saving your life, for always being there when the rest of the crew couldn’t, and for being the one to have a heart so warm it could melt even the coldest of people.

A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Keep looking at me like that and I might start falling for you, sweetheart,” he murmured playfully.

“Now, how bad could that possibly be?”


	3. Let Me Back In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he realizes you've been avoiding him for most of the journey, Han decides to confront you only to learn you've been harboring a massive secret.

“Alright, what’s your deal?”

You peered up from behind your welding goggles to find Han leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. You shut off your blowtorch and slid the goggles on top of your head so you could see him better. He was jutting out his chin in a haughty manner, eyes attempting to peer right through you. You cocked your brow as you stood up to face him.

“My _deal_?”

“Yeah. Why’re you ignoring me all the time?”

You shook your head. “I’m not ignoring you.”

“Really?” He pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek for a second. “‘Cause last I checked you haven’t spoken a word to me since we left Canto Bight.”

You sighed. “Don’t take it personally. I just need some personal space every once in a while, alright? We all do.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem allowing Lando into your ‘personal space’ on the way out here,” he grumbled like a stubborn teenager.

You nearly scoffed. Of course, Han didn’t know when to let up. And that only made the whole situation more difficult for you. “Yeah, well, that’s because Lando isn’t the one I-“

You quickly cut yourself off. Your impatience with Han and your pent up emotions nearly had you throwing yourself on the fire just to get him to take a step back. 

You swallowed.

Han furrowed his brow. “Isn’t the one you what?”

You tightened your grip on the blowtorch. “Never mind” you blurted as you turned away, “Just forget about it.”

You reached up to pull your goggles back down over your eyes only to have a hand firmly grasp your wrist and hold you back. You looked back over to find Han gazing at you with a stern expression.

“I’m not just gonna ‘forget about it’.” He released your arm. “You’ve got a problem with me and I wanna know why?”

You desperately wished you could turn your back on this whole conversation but the truth was you had dug yourself a whole that you needed to crawl out of. You really had been ignoring Han, but not for the reasons he believed. You were avoiding him for both your sake and his.

“It’s not like that, Han,” you tried to explain, “You’re not… I don’t have a problem with you, alright? I just…”

“You just?”

You closed your eyes for the briefest moment, jaw clenching as you searched for the strength to answer, “I just don’t think I can hold it in much longer,” you said quietly, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you for a long time now and I know if I keep opening up to you like I always do then it’s just going to come spilling out and there’ll be nothing I can do to stop it.”

Han’s expression went soft. “Then don’t try to stop it. Just tell me.”

It pained you to see him gazing at you like that, imploring you to tell him a truth he had no idea was waiting for him. You so desperately wanted to tell him everything you were feeling but you knew better.

“I can’t.”

He blinked. “Why not?” He stepped forward to gently grab your shoulders and reassure you of his support. “Look, if you’re afraid I’m gonna freak out or tell somebody some secret, don’t worry.” He grinned and rubbed your arm. “I’m great at keeping secrets.”

A tiny smile danced across your face at his comment. “I’m sure you are.” You gently slipped out of his grasp and gave him an apologetic glance. “But I can’t tell you this. Not now. I’m sorry.”

His face twitched. “When?”

“What?”

“If not now,” he asked, “Then when?”

You blinked, completely taken back by his persistence.

“Whatever it is that’s going on with you,” he explained quietly, “It’s hurting you. And y’know what? It hurts me too. ‘Cause I wanna help you, (Y/N), I really do. But you keep shutting me out like it’s for my own good and now I’m stuck watching go through this without me. So just tell me — when are you gonna let me back in?”

His words nearly brought you to tears. Never once had you doubted that Han cared for you but this… This proved to you he cared even more than you had thought. He was pleading with you to open up not because he was a stubborn guy who wanted to know everything but because he wanted to make sure you were okay. And, if he found out you weren’t, then it was clear that he would do everything he could to make things right again.

“I love you.”

Han’s eyes widened, head jerking back slightly at your sudden outburst. “What?”

You swallowed and fought to stay the tears in your eyes. “I love you. That’s what I’ve been wanting to tell you all this time but I couldn’t because I was afraid of what you would say.” You sniffled, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. “I know how much you love Qi’ra and I didn’t want to make you think I’m trying to get in the way of your feelings so I-“

You felt your words catch in your throat as he wrapped his arms tightly around you and pulled you against him. He squeezed you like his life depended on it, leaving you breathless and slightly disoriented.

He pulled back a moment later only to gently take your face in his hands and gaze at you with soft eyes. “I’m gonna be honest, I thought you were dying. So, I’m glad that’s all you were hiding from me.” 

You stared at him incredulously. He grinned playfully back at you until you cracked a smile on your own.

“Okay, so I take it I didn’t cross the line then?”

He laughed. “‘Course not,” he replied, “I’ve felt the same way about you for the longest time. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”

Your jaw nearly dropped at the reveal. All this time he had known and he had been playing you?

You hit him on the shoulder. “You jerk. Y’know what? I take it back.”

He shook his head and brushed his thumb over your cheek. “Sorry, sweetheart, but you can’t cash out at this table.”

You melted into his hands as he pulled you closer. “You’re a scoundrel,” you murmured.

A satisfied grin tugged at his lips. “I know.”


	4. No Man Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Han is shot down in a fight, Beckett orders you to leave him behind and head for safety with the rest of the crew. You, however, have other plans in mind.

Things had gone south far quicker than any of you had imagined. You and the rest of Beckett’s crew were all in range of the rendezvous point with your respective loots when Enfys Nest and the Cloud Riders swooped in and blew your getaway ship to hell. The massive explosion vibrated through the trees, alerting the nearby trooper camp to your position.

“I hope you’ve got a backup plan,” Rio said as he stared at the inferno of his decimated craft.

“Yeah,” Beckett replied in irritation, “You find us a new ship and we get the hell out of here.”

“Great plan. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Rio bounded off into the underbrush of the forest and headed for the eastern landing pad just a few clicks out. Moments later blaster fire began pouring out from the trees as waves of stormtroopers arrived on speeder bikes. Beckett’s crew scattered, taking cover behind trees and boulders. Each member took out about half a dozen soldiers before the opposition began flooding forward so quickly there was no way to hold them off.

“Fall back to the mountain,” Beckett called out to you and the rest of his crew, “We ain’t gonna last very long against a whole damn army on even terrain!”

Following his orders, you turned and bolted for the high ground. It was a straight shot to the lowest ridge with very little cover which, unfortunately, meant the only strategy you had was speed and luck. Several laser blasts whizzed by you on both sides as you sprinted. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Han just a few meters away making the break for it as well.

Suddenly a blast struck him in the calf and knocked him off of his feet. Your heart froze in your chest, your lungs refusing to oxygenate your blood for the longest second as you stared in horror.

A laser blast singed the cuff of your jacket and snapped you right out of your daze. You ducked behind a tree stump.

“Beckett,” you shouted into your comm device, “Han is down!”

You could hear blasters firing off on the other end of the line. “Nothing we can do about it right now,” Beckett replied, “Get up to that ridge before they roll out the walkers!”

You frowned. Beckett was condemning one of his own to death. And that was something you simply could not stand.

“I’m going to get him.”

“What?” You could almost see Beckett’s dumbfounded expression. “Like hell you are!”

You spotted Beckett a few meters west, taking cover in the trees. He waved his hands in the air, ordering you to hold your position. But you didn’t listen. Instead, you bolted out from your cover and headed straight for Han.

“Oh for the love of-“ Beckett’s groan was cut short when you ripped the headpiece off and tossed it behind you.

You ran like hell, managing to avoid the seemingly endless wave of blaster fire. You tucked your knee beneath your other leg and slid into position beside Han. You immediately grabbed onto his jacket and heaved with all your strength, dragging him to temporary safety behind a jagged boulder. 

“(Y/N),” He muttered between raspy breaths, completely baffled to find you in front of him, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” You pulled off your jacket and tore one of the sleeves from your shirt to use as a tourniquet. “I’m saving your skin,” you said as you began wrapping his leg.

Han hissed at the initial contact and grabbed your arm. “Stop.”

You shrugged him off. “Sit still would ya? I need to stop the bleeding or you’re not gonna get very far.”

“No. Stop.” He grabbed your wrist firmly and pulled you away from the injury.

You frowned at his stubbornness and turned to lecture him only to find the words catch in your throat. The normally bright and innocent look in Han’s eyes was gone, replaced by anguish and fear.

“Get out of here,” he begged quietly, squeezing your wrist in desperation, “Please.”

You gazed at him in disbelief. He wanted you to run, to leave him behind and let him die. He was valuing your life over his and completely disregarding any possibility of his own survival. Though he didn’t say it, he made it pretty damn clear what he meant — he cared about you more than he’d ever let on.

You shook your head. “No,” you replied, grasping tightly onto his hand, “I’m not gonna leave you behind, you hear me?”

A thermal detonator went off a few meters away. Han wrapped his arms around you and pulled you down to shield you from the rocky debris of the blast. It took a moment for the dust to clear then Han released you. You propped yourself back up.

“Look,” Han retorted, “I don’t wanna die. I really don’t. But the last thing I want is for you to-“

You firmly covered his mouth with your hand. “Y’know, you’re really starting to make me regret being the hero.” 

A laser blast struck the boulder and sent chunks of rock flying in every direction. You tore Han’s blaster from its holster and propped yourself up on the stone barrier. With a blaster in each hand, you unleashed a storm of fire. One, two, three, seven troopers fell from your barrage only to have just as many emerge from the trees and retaliate.

You were overwhelmingly outgunned but, as much as you were of that fact, you kept on fighting. You had to.

A single shot struck your shoulder, causing you to cry out and fall back. Han immediately caught you, pulling you back to safety behind the boulder. You groaned in pain as you pressed your hand to your wound.

“Dammit,” Han muttered as he helped put pressure on the injury, “I told you to get outta here.”

“And I told you it’s not happening.”

You reached out to grab your blaster again, but Han held you back. “That’s enough, (Y/N).”

You frowned. “Han, just let me-“

“Stop!” His shout caught you off guard and, judging by the look on his face, it surprised him too. “Just…stop, alright?”

He went silent for a moment, the immediate anger and urgency gradually fading away as he looked at you. You stared back and were surprised when his hands found their way to your face. With the gentlest of touch, he cupped them over your cheeks, fingertips ghosting over your skin as his eyes scanned yours.

“If you keep fighting like this,” he said in an almost whisper, “They will kill you. And I can’t…” He trailed off. You could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed and caressed your cheek. “Having to let Qi’ra go was one of the hardest things in my life. But I won’t — I _can’t_ — lose you.”

Your heart stilled in your chest at his words. He loved you. The words never came out of his mouth but you knew. You knew exactly why he couldn’t let you die on his behalf. He loved you just as he had Qi’ra.

You opened your mouth to respond and tell him how much he meant to you, but you were cut off by the muffled shout of a stormtrooper.

“You there,” he shouted, blaster pointed at you and Han, “Hands where we can see them!”

You and Han turned toward the trooper. Unable to lift your arm, you held your hands out in front of you. Another trooper emerged and circled around behind you, kicking your blasters out of reach.

“On your feet,” the first soldier ordered. With his injured leg still causing him a lot of pain, Hans struggled to rise. The second trooper jabbed him in the back with his blaster. “Move it!”

Han stumbled, crying out in agony when he was forced to put weight on the wound. You hurried to grab him despite your own injury, placing a hand on his chest to hold him up.  “You alright?”

He hooked his arm around your torso and used use a crutch. “Never better,” he said through his teeth.

Leaning against one another, you and Han prepared for your capture. No longer would you be able to find joy amongst the ragtag crew you had called family or marvel at the stars through the window of your own ship. Within the hour, the two of you would be split apart and interrogated by Imperial forces before being tossed in a windowless cell for the rest of your life. 

The pair of troopers led you back toward the underbrush, their boots clamoring heavily upon the rock. Every few steps, Han would stumble and hiss in pain only to have the barrel of an Imperial blaster jab him in the back once again.

A flash of light caught your attention and, when the troopers both looked skyward, you realized your mind hadn’t just made it up. Suddenly, massive laser blasts rained down from the sky, striking the troopers with the fury of hellfire. You and Han stumbled backward and gazed up to find an Imperial cargo ship descending from the clouds, its emergency ladder dropping down just over head.

“You idiots need a lift?”

Through the hatch above you could see Beckett smirking as Chewie made his way down to assist you and Han. 

You grinned. _Time to go home_.

* * *

Safely on board and en route to a nearby system where the crew could gather supplies, Val carefully tended to your shoulder.

“You got lucky,” she said as she worked to clean out the wound, “A few inches over and we’d be peeling your corpse off the rocks.”

“Boy, do you know how to light up a room,” you teased.

She pressed a little harder on the raw flesh in response to your comment. You hissed. She smirked. “Oops. Sorry.”

When you were all patched up and ready to move again, you made your way over to the bench where Han had fallen asleep. Unlike Val, Beckett hadn’t been so tender with his stitch-work. With all the “quit whining”s and slamming fists, it was no surprise Han knocked out immediately after getting his wound sealed.

You sat down by his head and watched as his chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm. His breathing was soft, his body completely motionless as he dreamt in peace. You smiled. If anybody deserved some sleep, it was him.

You began combing your fingers through his hair. It was an impulse you couldn’t keep from acting on. You wanted to be there for him, comfort him in any way you could even if he wasn’t awake to realize it. You cared about him deeply and, after what had happened on the battlefield earlier, you knew very well that he cared about you too.

It didn’t take long for you to drift off as well. With your hand tangled in his hair and your head resting comfortably against the wall behind you, your eyes slowly drooped shut as sleep overcame your exhausted body.

The whole journey over, you dreamt of Han.


	5. The Virus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're an infiltrator. He's an outsider. It's only natural that you and Solo take a liking toward one another.

Right from the start you knew he didn’t belong. With those bright eyes still so full of optimism and determination, Han Solo stood out like a sore thumb amongst the infantry. Despite his reputation as a spunky outsider, he kept to himself more often than not, signaling to the rest of the troops that he knew better than to get himself into even more trouble with Imperial leadership. After all, he’d already managed to get himself kicked out of the Flight Academy for insubordination…

You and Solo didn’t speak much during training outside of the occasional “watch your back” or “don’t you blow this for me, kid”. There was a sense of competitiveness between the two of you and, though you never told him, you greatly admired his attitude. It was pretty clear that the kid from Corellia was afraid of his life as a soldier but that didn’t stop him from cracking jokes. It seemed every time you would look over at him there would be one of those crooked grins on his face. How he managed to keep himself from breaking down after all the shit talk and physical exhaustion, you would never fully understand.

* * *

It wasn’t long after Solo’s introduction into your battalion that you were shipped off to Mimban. With dozens of infantrymen stacked on top of each other in single file lines within the tiny transport, the jump through hyperspace was miserable. It was hard to tell where one trooper’s limbs ended and the next began. It wasn’t, however, nearly as miserable as the planet itself.

The second you marched out of the transport into the forward camp, your boots sunk several inches deep into thick mud. The air was humid beyond belief and the swampy rainforests emerging from the dense fog on all sides of the camp served as daunting reminders of the camouflaged enemy waiting in the wilderness to strike at any moment.

* * *

You and Solo were assigned to the same barracks and, out of habit, took a pair of beds beside one another in the back corner of the hut. As much as everyone in the camp wanted to strip down to their underwear to fight the humidity, the risk of stealthy night attacks from the Mimbanese was too high for comfort. Troopers needed to be ready to go at a moment’s notice which meant crashing in everything but your boots and tactical vests.

Collapsing onto your bed with every intent of knocking right out, you looked over to find Solo sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands clasped between his knees and head dipped low. There was a look of complete dread on his face as he stared down at his toes in silence. No doubt he was thinking about the impending battles that lay ahead.

“Y’know, if you really wanna get out of this thing alive, you’re better off trying to get some sleep.”

Solo looked up at the sound of your voice, surprised anyone was paying any sort of attention to him. He forced a smile. “Yeah, well, I guess I find it a little hard to doze when I’m worried about a detonator blowing this grungy camp sky-high,” he said quietly, “But if Dreamland is calling your name, then by all means. Don’t let me keep you from counting Bantha tonight.”

You propped yourself up on your elbow so you could address him more directly. “Look, if you think you’re the only one without a death wish, check again. Half of the battalion hates the Empire but they feel like they’ve got no other choice than to fight for it. We’ve all got people and places to go home to. None of us wanna call this hellhole our final resting place,” you explained truthfully, “But if we wanna make it off of this forsaken mud ball, we gotta do what we can to survive. And if that means catching forty winks a night just to eat dirt for breakfast, then so be it.”

Solo took a moment before asking, “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You in this for the Empire’s benefit or your own?”

You nearly scoffed. “I hope every Imperial official rots in hell. The only reason I’m here is so I can help make sure that happens.”

Solo furrowed his brow, clearly confused by your response.

“If a virus wants to take over its host, it’s gotta move cell by cell,” you said, “There’s no such thing as one and done. It takes time and a buttload of patience for that virus to kill.”

Solo blinked. “You’re an infiltrator.”

You nodded. “And I’m not the only one. All across the galaxy there are millions of people like me who wanna see the Empire burn. One day, when more and more people have gathered up the courage and know-how to do something about it, a massive rebellion will form and become the beacon of hope the galaxy has been looking for. One day, the Empire will fall and I’m gonna be one of the ones who buries it.”

You were surprised to see a small smirk tug at Solo’s lips. You side-eyed him.

“What’s that look for?”

“I always knew there was something different about you,” he mused, “You’re way too tough to be a stormtrooper.”

A proud grin found its way to your face in response to his comment. “Imperial standards are far too low for my taste.”

The two of you exchanged looks just before the troop commander called out to the group, ordering everyone to hit the hay for the night. Everyone in the hut prepared to settle in.

“Goodnight, Solo,” you hummed as you laid back down.

He grinned and followed your lead without hesitation. “Don’t let the kleex bite, (Y/L/N).”

With a low hum, the lanterns scattered around the hut faded out.

* * *

Things went south almost immediately the following morning. Using guerrilla tactics to flank and ambush the infantry, the Mimbanese quickly had Imperial forces pinned down around northern fields with little hope of pushing outward. It had been clear from the get-go that, even with superior weaponry, the infantry would have a hard time taking down Mimbanese forces. Home field advantage, it seemed, was all they needed to prevent Imperial advancement.

Despite watching each other’s back in every trench and sprint, it was by pure luck that neither you nor Solo had been blown to bits by a detonator. Explosives seemed to go off every five seconds, taking down nearly half a dozen infantrymen around every time. One detonator blew both of you off your feet and, if it weren’t for your determination to keep trudging through the pain, Solo may have surrendered to the embrace of the muddy ground for good.

With the battalion’s commanding officer shot down, rank fell to an older officer with greying hair and a thick drawl. Never before had you seen the man nor did you even know his name yet everyone in your battalion followed him without question. Even Solo seemed keen on sticking close to the newfound commander. You, however, couldn’t quite jump on board. Something was off and it would only be a matter of time before somebody found out why.

A cease-fire was called late that afternoon, allowing you and the rest of the battalion to return to Camp Forward to gather supplies and get some much needed rest. It was clear on the march back to camp that Solo was worn out but he still managed to keep that youthful spirit of his alive, flashing smiles and cracking jokes at other infantry members the entire journey back. You couldn’t help but grin to yourself in response.

Safely back in the barracks, you were in the middle of restocking your ammo pouches and munching on the day’s rations when Solo suddenly stood and dismissed himself from your company.

“Aren’t you gonna finish that?” You asked when you noticed he was leaving half a protein bar behind.

He waved it off. “I’m watching my weight,” he joked, “’Sides, I’ll be right back.”

You watched with a furrowed brow as he hurried off into the camp. What he was up to, you weren’t quite sure. But something told you it wasn’t going to end well for anyone.

* * *

No more than two hours after Solo had dipped out, all hell broke loose in the camp. You could hear hurried footfall in the mud and officers barking orders like rabid dogs. You poked your head out of the barracks after gunfire broke out in the distance and were surprised to see dozens of infantrymen scurrying about in confusion.

You grabbed one of the troopers by the arm as he hurried by. “What the hell’s going on?”

“The beast’s escaped!”

Your stomach flipped as you released the trooper from your grasp. _Oh, great_. Not only was the battalion getting its ass handed to it by the Mimbanese but now the infantry’s most dangerous captive was loose in the camp.

You tightened your grip on your blaster and began weaving your way through the camp toward the pit where the beast had been kept. You had little hope of the infantry regaining control over the creature, especially after the brutal treatment it had received during its transport to Mimban. But, if you were lucky, maybe you could get to it first and prevent the remaining troops from killing the innocent captive.

You rounded a corner only to come crashing hard into another figure. The impact knocked you straight into the mud but your counterpart seemed less than fazed by the collision. Looking up, it immediately became clear as to why. There, standing directly over you was the beast.

Your eyes bulged as the beast let out a guttural roar. You quickly reached for your blaster and pointed it directly at the creature’s furry head. Before you could do anything more than aim the barrel, a familiar voice spoke out from behind the beast.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t shoot!”

You blinked, completely baffled to find Solo stepping out from behind the beast.

“ _Solo_?” You looked him over from head to toe, taking in the sight of his mud-soaked, messy figure. It was then that you noticed he was chained to the beast. “What the hell did you get yourself into?”

“It’s a long story,” he said hurriedly as he pulled you to your feet, “But me and fuzzball here-“

The beast made a quiet growling sound.

“Me and _Chewbacca_ ,” Solo corrected, throwing his furry companion a look before readdressing you, “Need to get over to the transport pad ASAP. We’ve got one ticket outta this mud pit and something tells me that it ain’t gonna end well for either of us if we miss our ride.”

You took a second to process everything. So, somehow, Solo had managed to not only understand the creature’s dialect but establish some kind of alliance with it. And now the two oddballs wanted to stow away aboard an Imperial transport to desert the battalion?

You clenched your jaw and nodded with newfound determination. “Then we better get you over to the landing platform.”

Solo seemed completely taken back by your declaration. “Wait a second, I didn’t-“

Solo’s words were cut off by a choked gasp when Chewbacca lurched forward to follow as you began making your way toward the transport area of the camp. Sticking to the outer perimeter, you were hopeful that encounters with infantry members would be kept to an absolute minimum. Last thing you wanted to do was blow your infiltration by killing your troop mates.

You spotted a pair of officers ahead and responded quickly, ducking behind a pile of armor crates. Chewbacca and Solo immediately copied your movements and took their place directly behind you. You peeked around the corner.

“Alright, I’ve got an idea,” you said as you turned toward your companions, “I’m gonna loop around the right side and distract them. Once I have their attention, Solo, you and your pal swoop in and take them from behind. With them out of the way, it’s a straight shot to the transport. You got this?”

“I mean, it sounds simple enough…” 

“Great.”

You made a move to get up and execute the plan but a hand grasped your forearm and pulled you back down. You looked back in confusion only to find Solo was the one holding you back.

“Hold on,” he said under his breath, an expression of bewilderment on his face, “Why are you doing this?”

You shook your head, not entirely understanding the question. “Doing what?”

“Helping me.”

You blinked. How were you supposed to respond to that? Sure, you put up a tough front but it’s not like you were actually coldhearted enough to let an innocent man suffer at the hands of the Empire. Especially not someone as young and hopeful as Solo. If anyone deserved a second chance at life beyond Imperial servitude, it was him.

Before you could even formulate a response, Chewbacca let out a series of soft grumbles that you understood as his natural dialect. Solo, fully understanding the creature’s speech, seemed blown away by his companion’s words. His bright eyes were wide, his expression soft. Hell, if it weren’t for the fact that you were feeling completely left out of the dialogue, you would have spent the moment adoring the look on his face.

“What?” Your eyes flicked between the two. “What did he just say?”

Solo glanced over at you then back to Chewbacca. The creature grumbled again and nodded his head toward you, almost encouraging Solo to answer.

“He said that you care about me,” Solo replied quietly, “That’s why you’re risking your cover for us.”

You felt as if you had been completely exposed. Chewbacca was right. You cared for Solo. Deeply, in fact. But it was something you’d never bothered to address yourself given the circumstances. You were an infiltrator with one unchanging goal. You couldn’t let your feelings toward Solo distract you from that goal. At least that’s how you’d felt upon until your arrival at Mimban…

You squeezed the handle of your blaster a little bit tighter and swallowed. “Yeah, well, don’t get too emotional over it,” you said stoically, “We’ve still got to get you on that transport.”

Before Solo or his furry friend could say anything, you hurried from your hiding spot and headed toward the opposite side of the adjacent hut. You circled around the small structure and poked your head out from behind the corner to insure the officers were still in position. Then, when your target was confirmed, you straightened up and put on a show.

“Sir!”

Both officers looked up to find you rushing toward them with a look of complete panic. They exchanged a quick glance as you approached before the older officer addressed you directly.

“What is it, trooper?”

You came to a halt in front of them, panting as though you’d sprinted for miles to reach them. “The beast, sir,” you gasped, “It’s worse than we thought!”

The officer furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“It’s multiplying!”

“It’s _what_?” The younger officer cut in.

“The beast has started multiplying, sir! Not just one or two, but there’s at least half a dozen of them running around the camp!”

The two exchanged horrified expressions, not doubt buying into your display.

“What are we supposed to do?” You asked as you noticed Chewbacca’s massive figure approaching from behind them, “The whole battalion is in danger! It could only be a matter of minutes before every last one of us is wiped out!”

“Keep it together, trooper. Panicking is only going to make things more difficult for every-“

The officer’s final word was cut short when a pair of large, furry paws grabbed him by the head and forced him to coming crashing into his partner. Knocked cold by the impact, the two officers collapsed onto the ground with a harmonious thud. You smiled up at Chewbacca.

“Nice handiwork,” you said to your newfound ally.

He growled softly and tilted his head in what appeared to be appreciation. Maybe you were actually getting the hang of communicating with him.

“Alright, let’s get you two on that ship.”

You headed for the transport with Solo and Chewbacca hot on your heels, managing to make it just as the engines were firing up. The three of you shouted up at the ship and, after a moment of unease, a ladder finally lowered down. Whoever was hijacking this thing knew Solo and was inviting him onboard for their escape.

Chewbacca grabbed onto the ladder and started the climb but Solo hesitated at the foot of it.

“Go on,” you encouraged him with a gentle push, “It’s now or never, Solo.”

To your surprise, he grabbed your arm once again, his grip tight. “Come with us.”

You were completely taken back by his plea. He wanted you to join him, to leave the camp behind and follow him through the galaxy. Though he wasn’t explicitly stating it, you knew that his invitation meant he cared about you too. Your heart felt full knowing that fact and, as much as you wanted to abandon that miserable post, you knew you were in too deep to give up now.

“I wish I could,” you said with an apologetic grin, “But I’m a virus. I’ve either gotta see this thing through or die trying. Besides, something tells me you’ll be just fine without me.” You nudged him gently. “You’ve learned from the best.”

Solo forced a smile. “Yeah, I did.”

He turned slowly and started to make the climb up the ladder, only to pause mid-way when you called out for him once again.

“Hey, Solo.”

He looked down at you to find you smirking with pride and determination. “Keep your eye on the horizon and never stop rebelling,” you said, “Something tells me we’ll see each other again.”

A look of adoration found its way to Solo’s face. A brilliant grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I’m counting on it.”

Then with a casual salute, he climbed his way onboard the transport, leaving you behind to finish the job you had started. The Empire was going to fall and you were sure as hell going to be one of the ones to bring it to its knees.


End file.
